Steve Bruce

[Mark Albrighton]

I’m not quite there in terms of being pissed off with Wyness, Round & Dr T. 

But if Bruce was still here after losing the next two games, I would be blaming them for the season’s collapse (along with Bruce and the playing staff, obviously).

[sne]

10 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

Yes he can. Sadly, I think he will.

I don't think Wyness and Round will have thought about a potential replacement at all.

I think at least one of them will be gone if Bruce was sacked, he was (is) very much their man. Fingers will rightly be pointed in their direction for this failed appointment.

Round is supposedly "one of the brightest young minds in the game" so he might be fine, but Wyness will never get a job like this again.

It will take something remarkable for them to sack Bruce as it will reflect poorly on them.

The order will likely have to come from above and I'm not sure Xia is ruthless and knowledgeable enough about the game to make the call.

I fear Bruce is here for the remainder of the season.

Hopefully Xia will surprise us.

 

 

[vreitti]

Xia will look like a fool if Bruce is allowed to stay, should we lose the next two. Can't see the match day supporters being too kind either. Surely the abuse at VP would be relentless. He'll be gone after Bristol. 

[Villarocker]

Bruce will surely be gone soon? When he does go, I cannot see Villa chasing a manager that's under contract at another club unless it is Dean Smith. I just can't see it but, can see them going after Smith because he has masterminded 2 of Brentford's 3 victories over Villa in their history. He's a Villa fan too and it all just fits into place. He also works on a tight budget and has his team playing some very good football and the club is punching above its weight.

I actually think Smith would be a good fit for us. It would be nice to know the man in charge is one of us and feels the hurt we do when we lose. Some will say that makes no difference but I think it does. I would hope he could bring either McEachran or Woods along with him too!

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

11 hours ago, Eastie said:

Can’t believe the shit he comes out with -

“We’re only a week away from a crisis at Aston Villa. Everything is a crisis if we don’t win. It was only two or three weeks ago that we were in the thick of it.

"We’re having our blip. Cardiff have had it, Sheffield (United) have had it, Derby had theirs at the start. It’s all to play for. “We’ll be better on Saturday because I don’t think we could be any worse.”

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steve-bruce-were-only-week-14083519

Does this clown realise the clubs who he claims "had their blip" are still above us in the table? lol

Either he is deluded and just a downright prick.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

3 minutes ago, villarocker said:

Bruce will surely be gone soon? When he does go, I cannot see Villa chasing a manager that's under contract at another club unless it is Dean Smith. I just can't see it but, can see them going after Smith because he has masterminded 2 of Brentford's 3 victories over Villa in their history. He's a Villa fan too and it all just fits into place. He also works on a tight budget and has his team playing some very good football and the club is punching above its weight.

I actually think Smith would be a good fit for us. It would be nice to know the man in charge is one of us and feels the hurt we do when we lose. Some will say that makes no difference but I think it does. I would hope he could bring either McEachran or Woods along with him too!

Add to that, knows how to get Scott Hogan firing.

[villakram]

25 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Unfortunately I think we will keep him till the end of the season.

As for Dean Smith, he may be a good coach, but it hardly means he could manage a club like ours. I mean, what other teams are looking to poach him. No one else in the Championship that we know of have even considered him, an he is certainly not for the Premiership,  not just yet!  Like I have said before, I just don't believe he is for our club, Brentford's a walk in the park, no real pressure for promotion, he would end up a broken man, like many before.

 

pressure... don't make me laugh. Management of a mid-table champo club with delusions of times past for multiples of millions of pounds per year. Pressure. 

I wonder what it's like at Preston. 

Bruce out.

[terrytini]

1 hour ago, vreitti said:

From what I could from the stream I watched, I actually thought we were our usual selves. The way it's been ever since Bruce took over. We were simply outplayed by a better football team last night. I seriously struggle to remember a game these past 15 months where I'd have thought afterwards, "wow we played some good stuff there". Says it all really. 

Exactly.

Its how we play. I just see no reason not to look in the obvious place for the cause.

Most teams play in a manner created by their Manager, ( until that Manager loses the team) I don’t see us as an exception.

Its even obvious through selections time after time, Mile And Whelan together being just the latest example.

[villakram]

24 minutes ago, sne said:

I think at least one of them will be gone if Bruce was sacked, he was (is) very much their man. Fingers will rightly be pointed in their direction for this failed appointment.

Round is supposedly "one of the brightest young minds in the game" so he might be fine, but Wyness will never get a job like this again.

It will take something remarkable for them to sack Bruce as it will reflect poorly on them.

The order will likely have to come from above and I'm not sure Xia is ruthless and knowledgeable enough about the game to make the call.

I fear Bruce is here for the remainder of the season.

Hopefully Xia will surprise us.

 

 

I'm not so sure about this. Even though it was as short term as we could possibly go, appointing Bruce was somewhat of a straightforward and obvious gamble to take. It's not in any way what I would have done, but I can appreciate the short term logic behind it. If you were told that Villa would appoint Bruce and back him in the market... it was a decent bet. 

Absent the team completely bailing on him, he's still likely to have us in playoff contention... pure misery though. I expect there is something along the lines of a Moyes@Utd clause in his contract, whereby they can fire him for essentially free absent play-off at a minimum.

Defenceball in the next 2 games should be enough unfortunately.

Edited December 27, 2017 by villakram

[vreitti]

The most important thing at this point is to get rid of the current incumbent imo. The current negative approach is poison. We need a fresh start. Let Wyness et.al., worry about the replacement. Clubs adapt to circumstances. Leon Britton managed Swansea in their last game.

[terrytini]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

I wish I was as sure as you, that we are poorly coached.....but for me that is to be established.

We may look as though we are poorly coached, which is entirely different, Terry.....and I would agree,we do look like we are, because I could not believe a pro footballer could be that bad on his own volition.....could he? like most of ours.

I mean are we playing that defensive or just being beaten back and retreating by players more up for it.....we lose just about every header (other than the centre halves) and lose out on so many one on one challenges.

I am not trying to be funny, just merely asking the question.....because most games I see, we just keep losing ground to players who seem better equipped to beat us individually....usually physically.

Please don't misconstrue my comments.....Its not me being sanctimonious.....I am just unsure, is it the players? or is it the coaching?.....because lets be fair, we have changed oodles of coaches,managers and players.

yes some have played elsewhere, but that could be the players they played with work harder.

 

 

 

If it was the odd game I’d think you could have something. If it was the odd player too. If we had acquired nothing but crocks or faikures.

But it’s none of those is it ?

Practically any of our first 16 would be in the first 16 of most Championship Clubs - just like when people didn’t rate Lawton, Albriton, Bannan etc, all of whom are found to be adequate players.

Of course they aren’t great, we are a Championship Club. Most are Internationals, many have played at this level or higher for significant periods.

Yet I could go back through game, after game, after game, and point out selections that were negative, tactics that were negative, Bruce’s own comments, his style at other Clubs, the comments of supporters of those Clubs, all of which evidence that the problem is the Manager.

I just don’t understand why it’s difficult to think the lions share of the problem is the Manager. Like it often is at most a Clubs.

I certainly don’t see what our players/ performances/ results of two, three, four years ago have to do with it ! I mean what on earth would such a theory even mean ?

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, chances are it’s a duck.

 

Edited December 27, 2017 by terrytini

[markavfc40]

23 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Does this clown realise the clubs who he claims "had their blip" are still above us in the table? lol

Either he is deluded and just a downright prick.

In fairness he is right in what he has said that Sheff Utd, Derby, Leeds etc have had blips, now Cardiff are having one. The difference is that we are on our second big blip in 24 games having started the season with one win in 6 games. We were always playing catching and in terms of top 2 couldn't afford another slip up. Now we have had another one it is threatening our chances of top 6.

I wouldn't go as far to say Bruce is deluded or a prick. He is doing what any manager will do and trying to down play the situation, publically at least. It is self survival I guess.

He is in big trouble though and needs 4 points from the next two games. If not I think he is done with the transfer window open and a two week break in league games. I would not be surprised, in fact I'd be questioning those above him, if targets aren't already being sounded out and much like when Monk left Boro a replacement will be brought in within a couple of days of him leaving.

Edited December 27, 2017 by markavfc40

[foreveryoung]

13 minutes ago, villarocker said:

Bruce will surely be gone soon? When he does go, I cannot see Villa chasing a manager that's under contract at another club unless it is Dean Smith. I just can't see it but, can see them going after Smith because he has masterminded 2 of Brentford's 3 victories over Villa in their history. He's a Villa fan too and it all just fits into place. He also works on a tight budget and has his team playing some very good football and the club is punching above its weight.

I actually think Smith would be a good fit for us. It would be nice to know the man in charge is one of us and feels the hurt we do when we lose. Some will say that makes no difference but I think it does. I would hope he could bring either McEachran or Woods along with him too!

Holy shit Villarocker, your going on like he's just beat Man City. You hardly have to be a mastermind of coaching to beat us with Bruce at the helm. To be honest, we lost last night because we were shocking and couldn't keep hold of the ball for more than a pass.  Brentford I thought were very messy with there passing, (or maybe i've been watching to much Man City) not great by any means. Take a look at the stats, being that they also had 5 on target and 53% possession, we were not really passed off the park by a master tactician, just beat by the better team on the day, yet again.

 

17	Goal Attempts	9
5	On Target	5
10	Corners	5
11	Fouls	11
2	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
53	%	47

[terrytini]

Agree @markavfc40, other than I don’t see why 4 points should save him - either the powers that be have seen enough to tell them it’s always going to be this way ( as I have for example) or they have seen enough to assess they will stick with him and see how we finish.

I don’t see how they can keep doing a review every 4 weeks or so ( If that’s what’s happening which of course I don’t know !).

I would hope any delay in him being sacked is either because a replacement is being lined up (which is my preference) or because they have no intention of sacking him.

[terrytini]

3 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Holy shit Villarocker, your going on like he's just beat Man City. You hardly have to be a mastermind of coaching to beat us with Bruce at the helm. To be honest, we lost last night because we were shocking and couldn't keep hold of the ball for more than a pass.  Brentford I thought were very messy with there passing, (or maybe i've been watching to much Man City) not great by any means. Take a look at the stats, being that they also had 5 on target and 53% possession, we were not really passed off the park by a master tactician, just beat by the better team on the day, yet again.

 

17	Goal Attempts	9
5	On Target	5
10	Corners	5
11	Fouls	11
2	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
53	%	47

I’ve never been keen on match stats and that is why.

Anybody watching what actually happened would surely have seen that for the majority of the game there  was a chasm between the quality and performance of the two sides.

[Lerner's Driver]

30 minutes ago, vreitti said:

 Leon Britton managed Swansea in their last game.

And he's dead, so literally anything is possible in this post truth age.

[foreveryoung]

2 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I’ve never been keen on match stats and that is why.

Anybody watching what actually happened would surely have seen that for the majority of the game there  was a chasm between the quality and performance of the two sides.

Agree in a term. but no one can say we were quality, an just out played by Brentford. We were shocking, did you see how many times we lost the ball. This was not because we were outclassed by a master tactician. Its because we were absolutely shit!!!

Brentford won 8 drew 10, 12th in the table. We drew last game 0-0. Can't really see this quality coached side, average at best, an whatever is said, they do have a few quality players in that squad. 

[Junxs]

2 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

@TRO

I'm with you. The problems do not all lie with Steve Bruce. Something fundamentally wrong. I'm thinking maybe it's the pressure. I doubt many of these players have ever played for a team when failing to win in 2-3 games feels like a crisis. 

They have bottled it yet again. 

Based on what? why must something be fundamentally wrong?

is it not possible that football has changed in the championship over the last few years. Bruce was good at getting teams up once upon a time, but now theres some good teams and tactics in the championship. Bruce has been relegated so many times from the top flight with his approach, all thats happened is that the upper teams in the championship have reached the standards of the lower premier league teams so Bruce at his best cannot compete with footballing sides.

Allerdyce went to a struggling Everton, in a similar situation where perhaps some whispered about something being fundamentally wrong, and turned it around with a click of a finger. 

All we need is a manager with some nous and a plan and things would turn around completely. We have some good attack minded players, they just need the restraints taken off and we will flourish. 

[Villan_of_oz]

Keep logging in hoping to see this thread in 'other football'

[DaveAV1]

3 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said:

Keep logging in hoping to see this thread in 'other football'

Should be in “None football”.